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OK so last night I was surfing and came across the military channel when the International Sniper competition was just starting. It was an hour long program and members of the Irish team were featured and interviewed several times throughout. I must say I felt an enormous sense of pride watching them. They one two events - the strange thing was that both events were things that they had never done before - the .50 cal and firing from a hovering Blackhawk.

It was a team from the 28th that represented Ireland and it looked like (on the show at least) that they were the only foreign team that actually won an event. There were a few foreign teams that they didn't talk to and blurred their faces (Aussie SAS I think).

I don't know if it will be shown in Europe but it's not on Youtube yet. The only reference I found to the competition was this one (and it only features US teams).

Actually safely extracting is the final stage, can be the most dangerous part of the operation as enemy now know that there is a sniper about.

Like the video though - thanks for that.

There may be only one time in your life when your country will call upon you and you will be the only one who can do the nasty job that has to be done -- do it or forever after there will be the taste of ashes in your mouth.

I was at the last day of the Competition for the vendor shoot. Let me tell you, there are some awesome weapons out on the horizon. I got the chance to get behind most of them. AMU does it again, but 75th came in second. All of the top 3 was American teams.
FORT BENNING, Ga. -- The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit beat out more than 30 teams from France, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Ireland and different branches of the U.S. military to win the International Sniper Competition for the second consecutive year, Oct. 16-21 at Fort Benning.

Snipers in the 8th annual competition hosted by the Sniper School at Benning tested their skills in several events, including aerial shooting, convoy live fire and night shooting.

Participating in this event not only helps snipers identify their own weaknesses, but also provides a forum for different branches of the military and snipers from around the world to learn from each other and perfect their techniques, Lojka said.

The competition is also good preparation for deployment, said Spc. Taylor Smith, a spotter with the 10th Mountain Division, which will deploy later this year.

"The scenarios you get here are probably the best training you can get in the Army before you deploy," Smith said. "It's good because the situations here are more elaborate than what a lot of posts can provide. It's a lot more detailed as opposed to going out to your usual range and placing your basic target just so far away. It's a challenge."

The exercises weren't exactly stressful, said Smith, who has been a sniper for a year, "but it does get a little high-paced."

Many of the events, such as counter sniper, were timed. Three points behind first place, USAMU ranked second in that event, finishing with two seconds to spare.

"That's what puts the stress on you - the clock," said Sgt. 1st Class Jason St John, the spotter for the team.

St John and shooter Sgt. 1st Class Robby Johnson identified and engaged four targets, but one was non-hostile, costing the team 10 points. After hitting the bonus target, they were allowed to go downrange to search for intelligence and earn extra points.

In all the exercises, their success depended on clear communication, Johnson said.

Even after the events, they discuss how they can improve.

"The scenarios and targets that are put out there are so phenomenally difficult," St John said. "There isn't an event that we haven't stopped and looked at and said we should have done this a little bit different. This is an extremely difficult match, top to bottom."

The 10th Annual International Sniper Competition wrapped up Friday at Fort Benning, Ga., where 22 sniper teams from the U. S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard were joined by seven international sniper teams and three law enforcement teams to compete for the title as the best sniper team in the world.

Teams included members from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, 10th Mountain Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, Army National Guard, 1st Marine Division, Pasadena Police Department, Spain, Germany, and Taiwan.
Army Sgt. Juan Valencia, sniper team leader, from the 1st Battalion, 73rd Cavalry (airborne reconnaissance) at Fort Bragg, N. C., was excited for the opportunity to prove his mettle against the best in the world.

"You are not considered the best unless you play with the best," said Valencia. "What better way to determine the best than an international competition."
Army Sgt. Johnel L. Pipkin, an infantryman with Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, Fort Benning, agreed.

"To compete at this competition puts you among the best, and to go head to head with them is an honor," Pipkin said.

The competition started at one a.m. on Tuesday and continued for 72 continuous hours, the first time this competition has ever been conducted in that format, said Lt. Col. Jody Miller, commander, 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment. Competitors were pushed to their limits with little sleep and some of the most challenging events a sniper could encounter.

The competition started with the Night Cold Bore followed by Night Range Estimation, Night Pistol, Day Movers, and Day Unknown Distance. Day two continued with Night Movers, Night Target Detection, Stress Shoot, Know Your Limits, and the .50 Cal. The third and final day's events were Night Unknown Distance, Live Fire Stalk, and One Shot.

Army Master Sgt. Mike Snyder, officer in charge of the U. S. Army Sniper School, said that although this is a competition, it is not just about announcing a winner.
"It is a competition, so we have to have a winner," he said. "But it is more about the training and the sharing of knowledge between our forces and our allies."

The knowledge being passed throughout the competition included events testing accuracy, endurance, target detection, and undetectable advancement toward a target. These are skills that snipers should already possess, according to Snyder.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua J. Harris, aviation electronics technician, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., was glad to have the opportunity to learn from this competition.

"In every course of fire here, our training and tactics were tested and our weaknesses were exposed," Harris said. "This showed me where I need to work. In observing and talking to the other teams, like the Irish Defense Forces, Special Forces, and others, I learned a few new ideas and little tricks."

Pasadena Police Officer and former Marine, Brandon R. Largent, Pasadena SWAT, also felt this competition helped him identify places he could improve. "This competition has highlighted areas of weakness that I have never fully realized."

The overall winners were Sgt. 1st Class Edward Hoymeyer and Sgt. 1st Class Chance Giannelli from the Special Forces Sniper School and scored 1,258 points out of a possible 1,507. They were also the only team to receive a perfect score on the final event of the competition.
Other notable performances in the competition include the 82nd Airborne Team receiving a perfect score on the night range estimation event. The Marine team from the Scout Sniper Basic Course received first place in the night movement event by covering a little over four miles in less than 45 minutes and also a perfect score in the live fire stalk.

Presumably there will be a write up in a forthcoming issue of An Cosantoir ?

"Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"